Beginnings
by Future Cool Aunt
Summary: My Secret Santa gift to Mama Grimes at Tell it to the Dead. This is also my first Richonne fic and contribution to the fandom. Story Summary: Rick and Michonne need a Secret Santa gift (and meddling coworkers) to get their situation moving in the right direction.
1. Chapter 1

**BEGINNINGS**

I always knew that Maggie Rhee was not to be trusted. Don't let the "gee golly" farmer's daughter persona fool you. She knew how to get what she wanted from people.

It also didn't help that she was six months pregnant. With a baby bump, she couldn't be stopped. She could take over the world if that's something that she wanted.

"Are you going to mingle at all, Michonne?" Maggie asked as she took a seat beside me on Principal Monroe's loveseat. "Or are you going to pout all night long?"

"I told you that I didn't want to come to this Christmas party," I hissed back.

"No. As of yesterday, you said that you were waffling, which is not the same as a no."

"Could you please get away from me while I brainstorm how I'm going to get you back?"

"Are you really considering hurting a pregnant lady?" Maggie questioned in faux-horror as she rubbed the bottom of her belly.

Yep, Maggie Rhee could not be stopped.

"Tell you what," I began with a Cheshire grin while placing my hands along the top of her bump, "I won't do any harm to you until after you've had the baby."

"Come on!" Maggie laughed while swatting my shoulder. "This is the least you could do for me. I got you this job, by the way."

Ugh, Maggie was right. Just nine months earlier, I was praying to whatever deity that would hear me that I would get a teaching position somewhere else. Principal Negan had made my former school a hellhole, and after a grade level meeting where the main point of conversation was plotting his murder, I knew it was time to go. Maggie let me in on a soon-to-open 7th grade social studies position at her school. She had talked me up to Principal Monroe, and with the charm and knowledge I displayed during the interview, she had no other option but to add me to her staff.

With almost four months in the books, this school year had already been a breath of fresh air. The kids were overall better behaved, the administration was responsive, and I got to work on a team with the manipulative pregnant lady who also happened to be my best friend.

There was something else about this school year that I greatly appreciated. This something walked on bowlegs, wore a graying beard, possessed blue eyes and chocolate curls, and spoke with the sexiest southern drawl. This something was named Rick Grimes.

While I greatly appreciated Mr. Grimes, he had also been a source of torture since the second day of school. The original math teacher on our team, Ms. Jadis, left at the end of that day. She told us it was due to getting a job closer to home, but based on what the kids were already saying about how badly her classroom smelled and their inability to understand what she was saying, it was probably more likely that she wasn't going to make it the full year and got out while the getting was good.

About an hour after Ms. Jadis exited the building, Principal Monroe introduced Mr. Grimes to our team as the new math teacher. He gave me a firm handshake (leading me to immediately wonder about the firmness of some of his other body parts) and said with a slight smile, "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Anthony."

It was lust at first sight on my end, and if Maggie told the story, the feeling was mutual. She swore he gave me the "elevator look" during our handshake. He may have, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself.

Sure, he always sat next to me during grade level and staff meetings, and we engaged in banter during homeroom every morning. We even got to the point where Mr. Grimes would ask me about my weekend plans every Friday during the extended recess time. However, I had convinced myself that we would be nothing more than coworkers, primarily because he already appeared to have been snatched up by Ms. Anderson, the art teacher.

The only evidence I had to go on was the rumors amongst some of the young ladies that Anderson and Grimes were caught kissing in his classroom after school one day. Once the rumors got going, I did notice that as Grimes escorted his kids to her class, that she would make a point to stand outside her door and greet him while welcoming the students, which she hadn't done until that point. There was also the early release day staff meeting just two days before this Christmas party when shortly after Grimes took his seat beside me, Anderson sat next to him. Every funny comment he made was accompanied by her placing her hand on his forearm and an over-exaggerated laugh.

It was then that I decided in my head that I would not attend the Christmas party. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to communicate that to Maggie.

"Nice of you to make it, Grimes," I heard Principal Monroe say as she and the man I lusted after from afar shared a brief hug.

"Well, looks like our whole team is here," Maggie acknowledged nudging my ribs.

"Looks like it," I sighed, seeing no reason to share in my friend's enthusiasm.

Just as the words left my mouth, Grimes noticed us and began to make his way over. He was wearing his ugly Christmas sweater as mandated by the principal. It was dark green with a reindeer in the center. The sweater would literally light up every few seconds. Along with the sweater, he wore dark blue jeans and his signature brown cowboy boots. But that bowlegged strut gave him a swagger that almost canceled out the ridiculousness happening everywhere else.

Once he reached us, he bent down to give Maggie a quick hug and belly rub. He then straightened up and turned his gaze my way.

"Chonne, I wasn't sure I was gonna see you tonight."

I was so used to addressing my colleagues by last name and vice versa (except Maggie since we'd known each other before becoming teachers), but over the past month, Grimes started referring to me by _Chonne_. I usually hate when people give me a nickname, but when he would say it with that deep growl, I would imagine how it would sound by my ear as he took me from behind.

I snapped from my dirty thoughts to reply, "Maggie talked me into it."

"I'm glad you're here." He stared at me for a few more seconds and then scanned his surroundings. He ran his hand through his curls (an act which I would have loved to have done myself) and asked, "So everyone's just mingling right now?"

Maggie nodded and responded, "Yep. Monroe said Secret Santa would start in a few minutes."

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Secret Santa didn't start for another half hour. While waiting, Maggie had left me to find her husband Glenn and scam coworkers into giving her more congratulations and baby bump rubs. After Grimes had gone to get a plate of finger foods, he decided to take Maggie's spot on the loveseat beside me.

"You did Secret Santa, right?" he asked stuffing a carrot into his mouth.

"Yeah. I made that mistake when I was in a better mood," I answered while picking at a piece of lint on my jeans to avoid eye contact.

Grimes immediately stopped and turned to me in concern.

"What's wrong, Chonne?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I couldn't reveal the reason behind my pissy mood. Just then, the reason for my pissy mood approached us.

"Rick!" Anderson squealed. "Monroe told me you were here, but I couldn't seem to find you. You weren't hiding from me, were you?"

Grimes remained seated and looked up at her. Just as I didn't share Maggie's enthusiasm in seeing him when he arrived, he appeared to feel that way about Anderson. Was there trouble in paradise?

Just as I was about to grab my metaphorical popcorn and enjoy the show, Anderson tugged on Grimes' arm, causing him to put his plate on the seat and stand up fully. He then looked to be going in for a hug, but Anderson was too quick and kissed him on the lips. It wasn't any more than a peck; there was no intimacy. Perhaps they just didn't want to do any PDA in my presence. Grimes then turned to me and said, "Wasn't hiding. Just talking with Chonne."

Anderson and I exchanged glances. I added a brief fake smile.

"Good evening, Ms. Anthony. I saw that Ms. Rhee brought her husband. Did you bring a date?"

She was trying it.

Since I was in the presence of my colleagues at my supervisor's home, I decided to keep it professional and not let her see me sweat. In my most calm voice, I answered, "No, I didn't bring anyone, but I'm sure that if I had, we would've come together, and I wouldn't have had to send out the search party for him."

Grimes began to react with a chuckle but he covered it with a cough into his fist. Anderson stared him down and held on tightly to his arm.

"Alright, everyone! Let's move to the den for Secret Santa!" Principal Monroe announced.

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For the next 45 minutes, I actually found myself enjoying the camaraderie as colleagues exchanged Secret Santa gifts. It didn't hurt that Anderson and Grimes were absent during this time.

I was especially happy to see Ms. Peletier's face light up seeing the Carolina Panthers scarf that I had gotten for her as her Secret Santa. Ms. Peletier was the science teacher on our team, as well as the team leader. Before the Secret Santa sign up, she had divulged to me that her husband Ezekiel loved the Carolina Panthers, and that she had gotten swept up in loving the team as well during their most recent Super Bowl run.

As Principal Monroe was selecting the next name from a black top hat on her desk, Grimes entered the den by himself and sat down next to me on the floor.

"What did I miss?" he whispered.

"People have been getting some really nice gifts. I got Peletier a Panthers scarf."

"And they got a good record this year," he laughed. "She'll be wearing that every day."

I furrowed my brows and looked behind him. "Where's Ms. Anderson?"

Those pretty blue eyes stared into mine and then scanned me over. I wasn't 100% sure about the "elevator look" on the second day of school, but I couldn't deny that that was what Grimes was giving me now.

"She left."

"Sorry to interrupt," Principal Monroe said standing directly in front of me with an envelope in her hand. "Here's your Secret Santa gift."

I had never been so happy to be distracted. I turned from Grimes and looked up at my supervisor. With no words, I took the envelope from her hands. She gave me a quick puzzled look and returned to the desk. I turned my attention to the envelope.

"Open it!" Maggie exclaimed clapping her hands with a wide smile.

Now all eyes were on me. Grimes inched toward me a little more. With no more hesitation, I opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. I read over it to myself.

"Could you let us in on what it says or do we have to wait until Monday?" Peletier shouted, followed by some scattered giggles from the rest of the crowd.

Continuing to scan the paper, I announced, "It looks like a dinner reservation for two at the Brazilian Steakhouse."

The crowd noise immediately shifted from giggles to woos.

"That's pretty pricey," Ms. Espinosa scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Looks like someone used Secret Santa to out themselves as a secret admirer," Ms. Williams, who was standing beside Ms. Espinosa, theorized.

I looked over at Grimes in continued confusion. He kept his focus on the paper. He had gone mute, but his face was as red as a tomato.

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I remained seated on the floor to see one more present given before I faked a bathroom emergency. Once I entered the bathroom, I locked the door and sat on the edge of the bathtub.

The envelope and dinner reservation were still in my hands. I could not stop staring in confusion.

Had my thirst for Grimes been so obvious that this was someone's idea of a joke?

Did I really have a secret admirer? That one dude was flirting with me during one of the workdays back in August, but I hadn't spoken to him since. I think he teaches fourth grade? Wasn't his name Mike or Terry?

Why was Grimes so red in the face? Wasn't he with Anderson? Why was he looking at me like I was his next meal before I got the envelope?

My thoughts were disrupted by a few knocks on the door.

"Michonne, you okay?" Maggie asked from the other side.

"I'll be out in a moment."

"I'm not feeling too well, either. I think it's the baby. I wanted to get a goodbye hug before Glenn and I took off."

I flushed the toilet and washed my hands to keep up the façade. I dried my hands and opened the door. To my horror and surprise, both Maggie and Grimes were standing in the hallway.

She rubbed my shoulder and said, "I think you two need to talk."

"What about you and Glenn leaving?"

"We're just about to do Christmas karaoke," she began walking away. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she added, "We got at least another hour."

Maggie Rhee had done it again.

It was now just Grimes and me, staring at one another. My heart was pounding, and I could feel the sweat coming on from nerves.

"Good thing we're not English teachers like her," he stated tilting his head in the direction in which Maggie had exited. "We've both got problems communicating."

"What is this about?" I asked holding up the paper.

"I've been trying for months to put it out there how I feel about you," he began while taking a step towards me. "Ever since I heard the name Michonne, I've had this feeling about you that I just can't shake. It's why I sit next to you any chance I get. Your name's just so unique, I love saying it."

He took another step. I'm sure I stopped breathing.

"I always asked what you were doing over the weekend because I kept telling myself that one day, I would get the courage to ask you out on a date."

I blinked, still in shock.

"What…what…about—"

He shook his head.

"She wanted us to be a thang, but there wasn't anythang there. I made that clear to her tonight after what she said to you."

"Didn't you guys…kiss? That's what Enid and Lizzie said—"

He let out a heavy sigh, "It was her way of thanking me after I covered her class that time. It was just as awkward and…weird as you saw tonight."

I exhaled in relief.

"But this reservation—"

"Rhee and Peletier said simple and direct. It was just a matter of making sure you showed up tonight."

"The whole team was in on this?"

He nodded his head, wearing his own Cheshire grin. I shook my head and lightly hit his chest, which did very little to subdue his newfound cockiness. He took my wrist with one hand, causing me to slightly lose my balance. He then steadied me by placing his other hand on my waist. I placed my free hand on his shoulder. Our chests were now touching. Yep, I was definitely out of breath.

"Do you have any other questions?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

"You know, you could have just asked me out. This was actually more extra than simple," I laughed.

"Okay then." He released my wrist and now both of his hands were on my waist, with both of my hands on his shoulders. "Chonne, you intrigue me, and I would love to start getting to know you better over dinner. I'm not sure where this will lead, but I don't think I can go on without having at least tried. Would you do me the honor of being my date next Saturday?"

Pretending to think it over, I rolled my eyes and looked down the hallway. I didn't miss Maggie and Peletier ducking their heads trying not to get caught spying.

I brought my eyes back over to Grimes, "I would love nothing more than to join you next Saturday night."

"There is mistletoe above you!" Peletier yelled while still hiding her face.

Grimes and I moved our eyes upward, and indeed there was mistletoe hanging above us. We then turned our attention to one another again. Still holding my waist, Grimes raised his eyebrows and licked his pouty bottom lip.

I wanted to kiss him, but I couldn't help but still feel some kind of way about the evening's events or the fact that he and I had failed to express our mutual attraction until now. He was sexy, and I had been having my share of dirty thoughts, but the shy, old school girl in me took over. I was suddenly overcome with the desire for a more traditional courtship.

"Know what?" I whispered moving my face to his ear. "I think it's best to wait."

I removed his hands from my waist, creating some distance between us.

"Really, Chonne?" The worry that he had already messed up was evident on his face.

I quickly reassured him. "Like you said, we don't know where this will lead…but we'll figure it out. Soon. In a few more days."

His worry now turned to confusion. He then seemed to get it and nodded.

"Can I at least hold your hand?"

Without a word, I waved him over to me. He tightly wrapped his right hand around my left, and we made our way back to the den with an audience that had now grown to include most of the party attendees looking on with clasped hands and heart eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the reviews and feedback. It really motivated me to continue this story and renewed my love for fiction writing.**

 **So because you asked for it...here is Chapter 2, where we meet Shane, get some hints of Rick and Michonne's individual past loves, and heat things up with the help of a red dress...**

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 **CHAPTER 2 (Rick's POV)**

"Gotdamn! I'd put the cowboy boots away, too!"

Shane stared at the picture of Chonne on my phone for a few more seconds, then burst into another fit of laughter.

"Now I think you've been looking too long. Let me put this away," I said giving my friend what Chonne and Rhee would call the "side-eye". I placed my phone on the other side of the counter away from him.

He put his hands up in defense and shook his head. "Just saying, man. I get it now."

Shane and I were standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom. We were going over my look for my first date with Chonne for the umpteenth time. My friend at first didn't seem to understand why I was more dressed up than usual, black blazer jacket, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. The only color I was wearing was the red button-down shirt under my blazer. I was killing two birds with one stone: it was in the spirit of the holiday season, and yesterday when I asked Chonne to give me an idea of what she would be wearing, she gave me a coy smile and simply answered "red". Her response both turned me on and filled me with anxiety about what I should wear. I wanted to look my best for her, impress her, and get her weak in the knees for me.

Shane didn't seem convinced with me just telling him that Chonne was worth the extra effort. I then remembered I had a picture of her in my phone. The whole team had actually exchanged numbers shortly after Labor Day for emergency purposes. Since the Christmas party, however, she and I were now using our numbers to exchange mostly innocent but some flirty texts. During lunch that Thursday, I asked Chonne to send me a picture that I could add with her other contact information. That night, she sent me the selfie that I had just shown Shane. Her locs, which she told me to call them during one of our text exchanges, was pulled into a high ponytail. With her big brown eyes, glowing skin, bright smile, and full lips in red lipstick, it seemed to do the trick in changing Shane's mind.

"And she's got you spending big money on a first date? You tryin' to marry this girl?"

I had been giving my beard a once-over but froze when Shane asked the question. We stared at one another through the mirror.

"Not looking for anythang that intense. Not yet, anyway. But I'm not looking for a fling. I just…wanna see how this goes. And she's not the kind for playing games. She just…" I shrugged, "She makes me wanna bring my A-game."

"If a woman's got you gifting dates as Secret Santa gifts, dressing up, and wantin' you to bring your A-game…and you haven't even gotten a kiss yet?!"

Shane turned away from the mirror, and in my periphery, I could tell he was looking at me with disapproval. I turned to face him.

He patted my shoulder and said, "It was nice knowing you, man."

"This isn't the first long-term relationship I've had. This isn't even a relation-"

"This is different," he cut me off. "I can tell. Have fun tonight. Hope your A-game pays off."

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She had to be hiding something.

That's what I had been telling myself from the time I picked Chonne up at her apartment until we had entered the steakhouse. She was stunning, as always. I don't think she could ever look bad, even if she tried. That wasn't the problem. It just seemed as if she weren't giving me the full picture.

Her locs were now pulled into a bun, giving her the appearance of royalty that could be found in one of her social studies textbooks. Additionally, I could tell that she was wearing a red dress that stopped right above her knees. The dress, however, was mostly covered up with a white peacoat that matched her white heels, so yes, I was purposely not getting the full picture. Still, she hadn't made her teasing nature a secret since whispering in my ear that she wanted to postpone our kiss. I just had an inkling that she hadn't said "red" without a little more behind it.

"I'll take your coat," I said while pulling out her seat.

"Thank you," she responded over her shoulder.

And there it was. As she slid the coat off her shoulders, I noticed the cutouts on the back of her dress, exposing portions of her skin. The cutouts stopped just above her ass, but that did nothing to stop the sweating along my brow or the tightening of my pants.

I was raised to be a gentleman, but I am a man, too, and I cannot deny that Chonne's ass was a thing of beauty. Big and round yet perfectly proportionate to her body. I never even considered myself an "ass man" until I met her. I guess it was just a matter of getting in close proximity to the perfect one. And I hadn't done a good job of keeping my appreciation of her backside a secret, with Rhee and Peletier catching me checking her out a few times.

Now Chonne's caught me, too.

"You okay, Grimes?" she giggled, holding her coat in her hand.

Her question interrupted my trance, and I finally tore my eyes away from the dress.

"Yeah. I'm good," I answered.

As I placed her coat on the back of her chair, I heard her whisper, "Looks like I made the right decision."

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We were taking a break in our conversation to enjoy what was currently on our plates. We had both even gone so far as to turn our tokens black side up to indicate to the waiters that we didn't want any more food coming to our table.

"This is good," Chonne acknowledged after taking another sip of her Brazilian limeade.

"I think this bacon-wrapped pork has been my favorite thing so far," I concurred before taking another bite.

"That, too, but I meant…the date."

I swallowed my bite and glanced up from my plate. We caught each other's eyes.

"Since we already work together, we got to avoid some of the first-date awkwardness," she said with a little shyness in her voice.

She moved her gaze down to her lap and began fiddling with her napkin. It appeared as if she weren't sure that she should've admitted that things were going well. Just as she had reassured me at the Christmas party that she wanted to see where this would go, I wanted to reassure her that I felt the same way about the date.

"I'm having a good time," I said with a laugh. "But I was never in any real doubt."

Those brown eyes widened in my direction again and her gorgeous smile was on display.

"When did you know that you wanted to go out with me?" she asked placing her hands on the table.

I made sure to free myself of any distractions before answering. I flattened my napkin in my lap, moved my plate away from me a few inches, and folded my hands on the table.

"I knew you were the most beautiful woman I had met the first day I saw you."

"I'm flattered, but that wasn't my question." She blinked at me with a grin. I wasn't getting out of this without a direct answer.

I really had been caught off guard when I was introduced to her. She was striking. For the most part, I just assumed she wasn't single, and even if she were, she had suitors lined up. She wouldn't be looking in my direction.

"To be completely honest, I didn't think I had a chance—"

"Why did you think that? Not because you thought I was one of those black women who didn't date white men?"

"No!" I immediately responded. Then I thought it over. "Maybe just a tiny bit. Now we've hit that first-date awkwardness."

We shared a chuckle in response to the slight embarrassment.

"It was mostly due to you being out of my league."

"You can't be serious," she scoffed.

"You are absolutely gorgeous. You're smart and funny. When I've been able to poke my head into your classroom, you've got those kids' attention. You always seem to have your shit together. And can I just go ahead and say that your body is…perfection."

"So you have been checking me out?!" she exclaimed pointing her finger at me.

I threw my hands up in surrender. "Guilty as charged. I'm not even gonna lie."

"Maggie told me that you were, and I would sometimes think that you were, but I…just didn't wanna believe it."

"Why not? Not because you thought I was one of those white men who couldn't appreciate a beautiful black woman?"

I did feel a little smug now that I didn't have to hide my approval of her physique. I took a sip of my wine and winked at her. She squinted at me.

"No!" She then paused. "Maybe just a tiny bit. And besides, the whole deal with Ms. Anderson—"

"Could we not go there? Must I remind you that that was completely one-sided?"

"I know that now. The only other thing I will say is that I noticed she wasn't standing outside her door waiting on your kids this week." She took a sip of her limeade.

"I'll give her credit for taking the hint."

"Okay, enough about that." She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Let's get back to the original question."

"Which was…?"

"When did you know you wanted to go out with me?"

We sat in silence for a moment and I had to mentally rewind the past four months.

"I guess it had to be the Wednesday after Labor Day."

"That was like, your fifth day at the school."

"But that was the first time I sat next to you during a meeting. It was our grade level meeting. I had already been checking you out—I feel so much better that I can say that now."

She giggled, and I continued.

"You were wearing a yellow dress and your hair was up. You were wearing a perfume or lotion with a lemon scent. It reminded me that summer was winding down, and I…just imagined being able to watch you on a beach. I then started to imagine dinner, spending time with you—"

"All of that from just a yellow dress and Bath and Body Works lotion?"

"You're worthy of someone with a big imagination."

Her smile faded and she moved her hands to her napkin again.

"Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head but continued to focus on her napkin.

"I know we're not supposed to bring up Ms. Anderson, but I can understand why she pursued you. You're making me feel something I haven't felt in a long time."

"What is that?"

Our eyes met again and her hands returned to the table. I reached and took one of her hands in mine. I rubbed her knuckles hoping to comfort her.

"Wanted."

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"When did you know that you were gonna go out with me?" I questioned as I shut off my car.

Chonne shrugged her shoulders and looked out the passenger window.

"Well, since you confessed to checking me out from the jump, I'll even things out with my own confession."

"I'm listening."

"I thought you were handsome from day one, as soon as you introduced yourself to me. Don't sell yourself short, Grimes. You are…visually appealing."

A moment of silence took over as we watched one another.

"As you can see, I would've said yes as soon as you asked."

"God, we're as bad as our kids," I chuckled. "Actually, we might be worse. I should've just slipped you a note that said 'Do you like me? Check yes or no.'"

Chonne leaned away from her seat and positioned herself closer to me. I did the same, removing my left hand from the steering wheel and placing it on her waist. My eyes traveled down to her lips. The only thing separating us was the armrest. This was it.

Our lips met, and it was better than anything I had fantasized. She tasted sweet from the Brazilian limeade that she had raved about all night. Her lips were so full and juicy that I soon had to give up trying to kiss both of them at the same time. I changed my strategy to nibbling and lightly sucking on her top lip first and then giving attention to her bottom lip. The moan that left her lips let me know that I was going about this the right way.

One of her hands began caressing my beard (Shane and I had debated over whether I should've shave. I'm so glad I didn't), while the other hand slightly tugged the hair at the nape of my neck. I could get used to that.

My hand on her waist traveled to the back of her dress. The skin exposed from the cutouts was hot to the touch, and I continued lower to her ass. Both of her hands then moved to my shoulders and she slightly pushed me away. I shamelessly attempted to lean in to get another taste.

"Grimes—Grimes!"

"You okay?" I asked trying to catch my breath.

"Yeah, I just…needed a moment. I don't trust what I would've done next."

""Next' meaning…?"

"You know I wanna take things slow—"

"No, I wasn't tryin' to—"

"I know. I've made the mistake of moving faster before because that's what the other person wanted. I said I wouldn't do that again."

We hadn't yet discussed exes in any real detail. I didn't want to use the date to bring it up, so I wasn't going to push her to talk about it, either. We'd get to it when the time was right.

"I understand. Slow works for me, too, especially if it means I'm gonna get kisses like that," I chuckled, wanting to lighten the mood.

"You know, there are some women who'd think I was crazy."

"Why?"

"This man thinks I'm beautiful, has already made romantic gestures, and I'm making him wait. 'Girl, you better give him something before he gets it somewhere else.'"

"If that's all I was after, then I had Ms. Anderson for that."

I was telling Shane the truth. I wasn't looking for a quickie or a fling. I wasn't looking for games and ultimatums. I had experienced that with my last relationship.

I was looking for potential. The potential of a real adult relationship. The more time I spent with Chonne, the more I was convinced that I had met someone who believed the same.

"I thought we weren't gonna talk about her," she reminded me.

"Just being honest. And why are you worried about what other women would think? You just said you wanna do thangs on your own terms because you had put someone else's wishes over your own."

She considered what I said and nodded.

"You're right. This is our _thang_ ," she recognized, mocking me in the process.

"You picking on me, Chonne?"

"I like your voice. I love listening to you."

She leaned toward me again and pecked my cheek.

"So we go from no kisses at the party to two kisses on the first date?" I wondered, raising my eyebrows at her.

"You're a great motivator."

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We had finally made our way to her apartment door. Neither of us seemed to be in a hurry to end the date.

Chonne started moving her hands along my blazer.

"I'm putting myself in charge of our second date," she announced.

The smile that was already on my face grew in victory. "I feel like I just got a rose or whatever they do on those reality shows."

"You did good, Grimes. Good food, good conversation, good kiss. I'm gonna have to figure out how to top that."

"That dress outdid me."

"Believe me, I can do better than that," she breathed, pulling me closer to her.

She's got me visualizing her in lingerie. Then naked. This isn't helping.

"We're supposed to be going slow," I recalled, even though the closeness of our lips was saying otherwise.

"Remember that we're both going to be out of town for the holidays, so we have to keep in mind what's waiting for us when we return."

There were two more school days before the holiday break, so we wouldn't be seeing each other again until after New Year's. She was going to visit family in Georgia, and I was going to do the same in South Carolina. So we had to make this good.

I wrapped my hand around her waist and pulled her toward me for another kiss. The only sound for the next passing moments was the smacking of our lips, my jaw having never gotten a workout like this before. Our hands seemed to already have their favorite spots for placement. My hands favored her generous backside and hers preferred a combination of my beard and hair. My pants were tightening again, and I had lost count of how many times that had happened throughout the night. The intensity was building, confirming that we were on the same wavelength and ready to pick up from here after the break.

Chonne broke away again. "I'm—I'm gonna go inside now. You've given me a lot to…think about."

Rick Grimes has got Michonne Anthony stammering. Still got it. Not bad for a man who thought he was no longer cut out for the dating game.

"I can say the same," I agreed rubbing my thumb along my bottom lip.

"See you on Monday, Grimes."

I kept my stance as Chonne unlocked her door. I didn't miss the slight wobble in her legs as she entered her apartment. Weak in the knees, just as I hoped. Once behind her door, she gave a quick wave and mouthed a goodbye before she was no longer in my view.

I walked back to my car with a pep in my step. I got my kiss and a second date. And Chonne wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, figuratively at least.

The first thing I did when I got back in my car was pull out my phone to send a text. There was a certain someone who needed to know that the date had been a success.

 **A-Game paid off.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Continued thanks for any and all feedback, favorites, Tumblr likes and reblogs, etc. I really struggled with motivation to continue this story, so I wrote Post-War and Naked in part to get myself going again. I appreciate the support. This fandom is the best!**

 **In this chapter, Michonne discusses her date with her girls, she and Rick discuss a sore subject, and she grapples with her feelings toward Rick.**

 **CHAPTER 3 (Michonne's POV)**

I'm not in love. It's lust. I'm smitten.

That's what I kept telling myself since Grimes left my apartment.

Since he kissed me.

Since he asked me out.

Since he introduced himself to me.

Grimes appeared so distinguished when he arrived to pick me up. While I appreciate his cowboy look, especially because his jeans and boots so beautifully highlight those bowlegs, it was nice to see him switch it up. He gave the appearance of an embarrassingly wealthy and possessive but "troubled" man from the romance novels I recently started listening to on my way to school. Like he could take me to Paris on a whim or buy me an expensive dress "just because". Not that I needed him to do those things; I was swayed with the romantic gestures he had already managed to pull off.

And the way he kissed and touched me! I was somewhat concerned that he wouldn't know how to take care of my "assets". I've been told that I have too much ass and "soup coolers". It's hard to imagine in this day and age that I would have been teased about my body while I was growing up. But I am now more than comfortable with my big butt and big lips, and Grimes handled them well! I had to hurry up and get into my apartment before I gave him access to all my blessings!

Calm down, Michonne.

I'm not in love. It's lust. I'm smitten.

I needed to talk to Maggie.

Fortunately, the girls were meeting up the next afternoon to watch the Panthers/Falcons game at Maggie's house. She invited some of the elective teachers, Ms. Williams and Ms. Espinosa, and they had accepted. Maggie and I had been speaking with them more since the Christmas party. Grimes had also impressed both women, and they hadn't made it a secret that they wanted the scoop on our date. It would be the perfect time to debrief and hopefully get the ladies to help me sort out my feelings.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You and Grimes are _so_ going to get married and have the prettiest babies!" Maggie shouted with a grin so wide you could see all of her teeth.

Why did I think this group of women would be rational, especially Maggie? She partially got me in this mess in the first place.

All I could do was just put my head in my hands. Ms. Harrison, who still worked at my former school but was the only one from there I still considered a friend, rubbed my back but she was in no way sincere.

"Ah…come on, Anthony. There's nothing to be in agony about. You got an official first date and kiss. I just get bent over the principal's desk after school."

The room erupted in a combination of gasps and raucous laughter. Trust Harrison to make the lewd comment that would rile everyone up.

I lifted my head and stared at her in amazement, "Really?"

The worst kept secret of last school year was Harrison's affair with Principal Negan. Everyone, including Harrison, knew he talked too much, had no class, and was nowhere near as clever as he thought. He always made inappropriate advances toward the female staff, myself included. I only had to tell him to step back one time, and he left me alone. Harrison, however, found his attention extremely flattering. She even kept silent when we would trash talk him during the grade level meetings. I didn't approve, but that's her life.

"Newbie here," Williams said raising her hand. "Anyone care to spill the tea?"

Harrison shook her head, "I'll catch you up on the sordid details later. Right now, we're still talking with our girl about her date last night."

I put my head in my hands again and groaned.

Espinosa, who had devoted more of her attention to the football game than our conversation, finally interjected. "Okay, could you run it by me again? After Grimes asked you out in front of everyone, he got all dressed up, wined and dined you, made you feel all warm and gooey when he kissed you, and this is somehow bad? I'm really not understanding what the problem is. Isn't that what we all want?"

Harrison placed her hand on my back again. "Anthony's just all in her feelings."

"And baggage," I heard Maggie add.

I raised my head again, hoping my glare would put the fear of God in my friend. I didn't want this to turn into a conversation about my ex, but he was playing a bigger role in any apprehension I had toward Grimes than I was willing to admit.

"Thanks for the invite, Rhee, but y'all really need to catch a sista up," Williams observed.

"Oh no. I think I got it," Espinosa cut in. "Another damaged girl whose ex has ruined her for everyone else."

Four pairs of eyes immediately cut toward the Spanish teacher. I hope she didn't call herself getting ready to read me.

She rolled her eyes. "I get it. Big Red broke my heart last year."

Maggie, Harrison, and I were now looking at her in confusion. From my periphery, I could see Williams darting her eyes toward the television screen and taking in a sip of beer.

"Who's Big Red?" Harrison asked.

"Mr. Ford, the P.E. teacher," Espinosa replied glancing at Williams. "Don't worry. I'll go into all the sordid details later. Everything's cool now, though. I gotta little somethin' going on with someone else, and I am getting well taken care of," she finished with a suggestive grin.

Williams cleared her throat. "Uh…Rhee, where's your bathroom?"

Continuing to stare at Espinosa, Maggie answered, "Down the hallway. It'll be the last room to your right."

Williams shot up from her chair and sprinted away from the group.

Given how much the both of them wanted to be in my business, it appeared as if there were some tea Espinosa and Williams needed to spill. I was certain that Maggie and Harrison had reached the same conclusion. I could probably get the information from Maggie after the winter break. Grimes was enough to preoccupy me without involving myself in someone else's drama.

"My advice to you, Anthony," Espinosa started, "is to get over whatever happened with your ex. Grimes seems like a good guy, and until he shows you otherwise, enjoy the ride."

"Speaking of riding-"

"Harrison, no!" I screamed. "Principal Negan is off limits for the rest of the day!"

"I was not going to mention him! I was referring to you and Grimes. I know you want to take things slow, and he respects that, but…when are you going to do the do?"

Reminiscing on Grimes' lips on mine and his hands firmly around my waist, I replied, "If things keep going the way they are, then it's going to get tougher to hold out. I mean, after he kissed me that second time, if I weren't any good, then I would probably be laid up with him right now!"

Williams returned just in time to see me fanning myself, along with hearing the other women laugh and high-five me. Instead of pleading with us again to catch her up, she just grabbed a handful of tortilla chips that were in a bowl in the middle of the coffee table.

After the rest of us settled down, Harrison also took a chip from the bowl. "Why are you holding out then?" she asked before placing the chip in her mouth.

I really didn't want to talk about my ex, but if I were seeking these women's advice, then it would only make sense to give them a bit more information to go on.

I turned my gaze to the carpet. "I followed all the latest trends in my last relationship. We met online, we hooked up without really knowing each other. He wanted to move much more quickly than I wanted." I shrugged my shoulders. "If there is anything positive I can say about that nonsense, it's that I learned what I really want. I want romance. I wanna be desired. I want the guy to really want me. I wanna get to know the person. I'm just not about the foolishness."

There was a brief silence, as if all of them were reflecting on their relationships. I must have stuck a nerve. I took the moment to continue verbalizing my thoughts.

"The date was phenomenal. There is…something there. Hell, I even told him that I would plan our next date. But then I also got to thinking—if this man is so great, then how is he still available? He's great to look at, educated, had enough money to put on a nice suit and take me out. He's not pressuring me. It might be one of those 'too good to be true' type things."

Williams was the first to respond. "You said that Grimes told you that he felt you were outta his league. He's probably thinking the exact same thing about you. And who's to stay that he isn't also coming out of a bad relationship?"

"Are Peletier and I gonna have to intervene again?" Maggie asked.

After the scattered chuckles in response to Maggie's question subsided, she continued. "All kidding aside, Michonne, if this is a concern for you, then just talk with him about it. First date's over now. And if this is something you really wanna pursue, and you're gonna take things slow, then won't any concerns that you have work themselves out eventually?"

In the midst of the dirty talk and telling our business, the women appeared to come to a consensus. There was no need to overthink this. Talk to Grimes, embrace the present, and have fun while doing so.

Harrison sighed, "I shoulda held out on Negan. Don't get me wrong, I like the rough stuff-"

"T-M-I! T-M-I!" I shouted, causing Maggie, Williams, Espinosa, and even Harrison to hoot and holler so loudly that we failed to notice Glenn emerge from the basement to grace us with his presence.

Maggie was the first to spot him, and she cleared her throat to alert the rest of us. He waited patiently in his Cam Newton jersey and blue jeans. He chose not to address us until there was absolute quiet.

In his usual unassuming tone, he declared, "Ladies, as much as I have enjoyed the laughter, and you guys spending time with my dear pregnant wife, I cannot take it anymore. Mags, I will be over at Daryl's to watch the rest of the game. You ladies enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

"Bye, Glenn!" we responded in that sing-songy way children do after they've been reprimanded.

He nodded at us and exited as quickly as he had entered.

Harrison moved her attention from Glenn to Maggie. "You and Glenn make a good couple." Purposely bumping her shoulder into mine, she added, "Anthony, why not get all of your relationship advice from her?"

Maggie and I exchanged glances with widened eyes. Maggie then swallowed a big gulp of her water. Harrison kept moving her head between the two of us, not missing that we were keeping something from the group.

With a smile, Maggie confessed, "I'm not exactly a role model here. Glenn and I started off as friends with benefits."

If Glenn hadn't already taken off, then the boisterous response to Maggie's statement would have surely done the trick.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time I returned home from my afternoon with the girls, I had already decided that I would feel better if Grimes and I moved ahead and talked about our exes. I could own up to lusting after him and even being smitten, but I couldn't comfortably go there with "love" until we got to know each other better. I especially wanted to know how a man who had been so respectful and attentive managed to make it this far in his life without a wife and a kid or two. Anderson shouldn't have even had a chance at him.

I wanted to talk with him before we took off to be with our families during winter break. I didn't want to spend the next two weeks torturing myself with questions about his past or comparing my previous relationship with what I may be developing with him. Furthermore, I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone or through text messages. This needed to be a face-to-face conversation, where I would be able to gauge his facial reactions and body language, and he would be able to do the same with me.

I decided that Monday after school would be the best opportunity.

My mix of emotions regarding the date had not changed when I arrived to school Monday morning. Grimes, on the other hand, appeared cool, calm, and collected. When we caught eyes shortly before the 7:45 a.m. bell, he put on a playful smirk. It was as if he overhead my discussion with the ladies and knew he had thrown a wrench in my "take things slow" stance.

During each class change, Grimes posted himself at the boys' bathroom as a monitor due to some recent vandalism. As he walked down the hallway, there was a not at all subtle sway in his hips that he added to his strut. He wasn't slick; he knew that I was watching him.

At lunch, when I was bending over to get my food out the refrigerator, Grimes "accidentally" tripped into me, resulting in him placing his hands on my hips to break his fall, or so he claimed. I just shook my head and pecked him on the lips. Unfortunately, our alone time in the lounge proved to be short-lived when Principal Monroe entered and reminded us that "adult activities" needed to take place off-campus.

Finally, 3:30 p.m. arrived, so I would have Grimes all to myself. He had done a terrific job of keeping me wound up throughout the day, but in a way it also reinforced why I wanted to get more information into his past. Maybe his exes found his attention smothering? Had he dated other coworkers and gotten himself in trouble? Did he come on really strong initially only to be cold later on?

As we made our way back to our classrooms from the bus lot, I took Grimes' hand and whispered, "Meet me in my room."

I should've chosen my words more carefully because his eyebrows immediately shot up.

"Uh…no. This is just to talk."

About 10 minutes later, giving me just enough time to plug up the students' Chromebooks and straighten their desks, Grimes stepped into my classroom and shut the door. I sat on top of one of the desks and invited him to sit with me.

I wasn't smiling, batting my eyes, or giving any other signs of flirtation, causing Grimes to furrow his brows and give me a curious stare as he sat on top of the desk next to me.

"What's wrong, Chonne? I'm sorry for being a little…extra today. Am I saying it right?"

I giggled and placed a hand on his knee.

"No, I liked that. That's something that I like about you."

Now that I reassured him that his behavior throughout the day had been acceptable, his cocky grin returned.

"Then what did you wanna talk about?"

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"My last boyfriend…we only dated five months. His name was Gareth. Managed some 'hip' restaurant. He was so smug and condescending. Wanted things to move on his own terms. I think he was more into the idea of what he could get out of a relationship than being into me specifically."

Grimes quickly put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer towards him. I placed my head on his shoulder. He understood the purpose of this conservation.

"I was engaged. Lori," he growled, his tone giving the impression that she didn't conjure up pleasant memories. "We'd been off and on since college."

I moved my head to watch him. I wanted him to know that he had my undivided attention. For the first time since we had met that late August afternoon, I detected sadness behind those exquisite blue eyes.

"When my dad got sick two years ago, I put more energy into…that. She didn't appreciate it. Felt that I was ignoring her. We fought about it a lot, even as he started getting better." He scoffed. "The problem was that by then, she'd cheated on me, and I just kinda…kept to myself after that."

Now I felt bad. Based on what he just shared, Williams was right. We were both coming out of bad situations. Here I was beginning to wonder if Grimes were either too clingy or ready to play me for a fool, yet we were actually not that different. Our partners failed us. I gave up on my boyfriend when it was obvious that he wasn't interested in knowing or taking care of my needs. Grimes gave up on his fiancée after she betrayed him when he most needed her emotional support. As a result of our break-ups, we both retreated inwards, to the point where we were too hesitant to immediately act on our shared attraction.

"Any chance of you and Lori being 'on' again?" I asked still staring into his eyes, our bodies now completely turned toward one another.

He snickered, using both hands to pull my face closer to his. Our foreheads were now touching.

"As much chance as there being a zombie apocalypse."

Before I could make a snarky remark about such an event still being a possibility, he kissed me, and it felt just as good as it had on our date.

I'm going to enjoy the ride.

Any doubts will work themselves out the longer I stick with this. I have no reason to walk away yet.

I'm not in love. It's lust. I'm smitten.

I don't think I'll be able to tell myself that much longer.


End file.
